Welcome to The Sunshine Cab Company, where the career aspirations of the taxi-driving employees sit as idle as a yellow cab parked along a deserted curb, just hoping to be noticed. And through their trials and tribulations, their triumphs, and more often, their failures, this collection of cab drivers delivered some of the most memorable and uproarious moments in the history of television sitcoms. Continue reading...

Only the most hardened heart could refuse to soften a little when faced with a little orphaned girl. Just ask Annie, just ask Pippi, just ask Heidi. Now, put a spunky and self-confident little orphan alongside a cantankerous old codger, an odd couple if there ever was one, and you have a recipe for heart-string tugging like no other. Such was the power of Punky Brewster. Continue reading...

Magical nannies have been the secret wish of many kids ever since Mary Poppins floated down from the sky dispensing discipline and whisking her charges off to have wonderful adventures. Another offbeat, quirky governess appeared in Nanny and the Professor, a 1970 sitcom starring Juliet Mills and Richard Long in the title roles. Continue reading...

If you haven't heard the theme to Gilligan's Island, perhaps you were also isolated from society during much of the 60s and 70s, much like the castaways of this beloved sitcom. After the show's initial three-year run, it garnered millions of new fans through the magic of syndication, who tuned in faithfully to see if this bumbling group of cohorts would ever find a way off of that godforsaken island. Continue reading...

One of the more charming sitcoms to air in the 80s, Mr. Belvedere told the story of a proper English gentleman employed as a nanny/housekeeper for a typical American family. Starring Christopher Hewitt in the title role, the series was an overnight success and proved that Hollywood still had the ability to come up with new and original concepts. Continue reading...

On July 11, 1987, a prime-time special entitled Good Morning, Miss Bliss aired on NBC. Soon after, it became a series on the Disney Channel, starring The Parent Trap's Hayley Mills as the teacher, Miss Bliss. Among her students were a young Zack, Screech, and Lisa. Their principal was Mr. Belding, who could switch from best pal to stern disciplinarian at a moment's notice.The show moved to NBC in 1989, soon to become the network's first live-action hit since Land of the Lost in 1977. Playing with the big boys now, the show got rid of its title character as well as its title. Now known as Saved by the Bell, the new show featured Zack (the "preppie" stud), Screech (the nerd) and Lisa (aspiring dress designer), as well as their new friends Slater (the handsome jock), Kelly (the boys' object of desire) and Jessie (the intelligent girl). Continue reading...

Tim Allen enjoyed a rapid rise in stardom in the late 80s/early 90s as a stand-up comedian. He owed his success to a hilarious routine that revolved around power tools and the primeval grunting males that covet them in their never-ending quest to be the king of all home repairs. Network execs at ABC thought that made for an interesting premise for a sitcom, and the foundation was laid for Home Improvement. Over the next decade, the series rose in popularity like a mighty skyscraper under swift construction. Continue reading...

A family-based sitcom is dangerous territory. If the kids annoy, if the writing falls flat, if the family isn't realistic – all can lead to a quick demise. But every once in a while a show like Growing Pains comes along where everything clicks. This 80s series, which would go on to become one of the longest-running and most watched of the decade, had it all – clever humor eliciting unexpected guffaws, a cast of likable characters of all ages, and a clan that never seemed too “Hollywood.” Continue reading...